About Me

A veteran organizer in the “movement,” Gary James was a staff organizer in the borough of Queens for the National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO), from 1966 to 1971 under the leadership of the late Dr. George Wiley organization’s President. Gary James is a political analyst and free lance writer. He is the author of a book entitled ERACISM that will be released in the spring of 2007. The provocative "political faction" book highlights grassroots politics in New York from the late 1960s to the present. For a limited time the book can be accessed at his web site: www.garyjames.info

Saturday, February 24, 2007

HOW CAN WE STOP POLICE BRUTALITY?

PRESS RELEASE

Keisha Morrisey, former candidate for public office, and entertainment entrepreneur is calling for the popular election of the Police Commissioner, thereby making New York’s top cop accountable to all the citizens, as a means to end police brutality as we know it.

Morrisey said, “Although Mayor Bloomberg is people friendly as compared to his predecessor, the Mayor cannot change the culture of the police department in relation to how they interact with the Black community. The New York City Police Department (NYPD), culture has a history of clashing with the culture of the Black community.”

Ms. Morrisey continued, “I am reaching out for support in order research the feasibility of providing for the popular election of the Police Commissioner. We must begin to change the prevailing policing and accountability culture. If it requires a change in the New York City Charter, and / or pursuing the advent of Ballot Initiatives in New York electoral politics, options beyond protest tactics are in order.”

Keisha Morrisey was referencing the pre-dawn shooting of 22 year-old Sean Bell, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield in Queens on November 25, 2006, by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) as unfortunately another case of police brutality. An impulse for over kill is pervasive in the culture. The 50 odd barrage of bullets discharged by five under cover police officers killed unarmed Sean Bell, and critically wounded his two associates, has again challenged the behavior of New York’s finest in the Black community.

“This latest clash of NYPD culture with Black community culture is punctuated by the usual array of protests, rallies and talk of economic boycotts as a means of holding the relevant political officials accountable. Ultimately, these activities dissipate as emotions get exercised over time and people must resume the demands of daily life. Also, many people get frustrated, confused and misguided by competing political agenda’s that are open ended and vague,” Ms. Morrisey said.

The general confusion associated with traditional efforts to address historical police brutality is often exacerbated by poor dissemination of accurate and updated information from the media. And in some cases the media are compelled to follow up on information that they have disseminated, but fail to do so.

Ms. Morrisey added, “I am also very concerned when senior citizen constituents come to me complaining that they responded to out dated information concerning a public demonstration to be held at City Hall at noon on Tuesday November 28, 2006. My constituents showed up for the rally along with others only to be told by NYPD at the scene that there was no group demonstrating there today. The officers reference the previous day, November 27, when the Mayor held a public hearing.”

“My constituent said that he got the information from the Sunday talk show on Kiss FM, between 10 and 12 noon,” she concluded. Ms. Morrisey is exploring the development of a movement for the popular election of the Police Commissioner. She has established a web site that will be formally launched after the holidays.